Should I pay the mover a deposit?
The OPC advises paying a mover no deposit, or a very small one; if a mover asks for payment more than two months ahead, check that it has a trust account and make the cheque payable to the company 'en fidéicommis'.
Montreal to Ottawa-Gatineau moving cost guide
Treat this as a corridor planning range, not a flat quote. downtown tower access, alley loading, and bilingual move-day coordination and institutional access checks, protected unloading, and carefully timed delivery windows are what usually change the route plan.
Distance sets the baseline. Packing, storage, access, and delivery timing can still change the final route plan.
Montreal → Ottawa-Gatineau: rules that affect moving costs
Latest source review: September 28, 2026. Individual access dates appear below.
Bulky items
In Ville-Marie, the Plateau, Le Sud-Ouest and Verdun, mattresses, box springs and upholstered sofas or armchairs go out with household garbage. Refrigerators, freezers and air conditioners require an approved recovery option, such as an écocentre or an available retailer/GoRecycle program, because of their refrigerants.[1][2][3]
Bulky items
Montreal's curbside bulky-item and construction-debris collection is for private individuals only; businesses must hire a private company, and residents who ignore the Info-collectes schedule or set-out rules can be fined.[4][5]
Vehicle
Montréal’s trucking guidance states that half of Québec’s intercity truck trips pass through the island. Truckers must follow specific rules and a designated street network; consult the official trucking map for the planned route.[6][7]
Permit
Ottawa says a moving vehicle that obeys existing parking rules needs no encroachment permit. A portable storage container occupying any part of the road right-of-way, including for loading or unloading, requires a temporary construction-related encroachment permit.[8]
Permit
Ottawa’s temporary-consideration parking permit does not cover moving-company vehicles or equipment using City streets. The City directs those requests to its temporary construction-related encroachment process.[9]
Permit
When an Ottawa encroachment permit is needed, the City states a minimum of 10 business days for issuance. Temporarily removing parking needs at least four business days’ notice; a Traffic Management Inspector reviews a proposed container or material placement after application. These are different steps, not approval guarantees.[8]
Parking
Ottawa’s loading-zone rule limits parking or stopping to 15 minutes or the maximum duration stated on the authorized signs, during their indicated days and hours. Check the actual sign before choosing the unloading place; a loading zone should not be treated as an all-day moving reservation.[10]
Vehicle
An ordinary passenger vehicle brought from another province needs an Ontario safety standards certificate to obtain plates. The certificate is valid for 36 calendar days after inspection at a DriveON centre; other vehicle categories can be exempt.[11][12]
Vehicle
When moving to Ontario with an ordinary passenger vehicle, register it within 30 days at ServiceOntario. Bring insurance, prior ownership or registration documents and the required safety standards certificate.[13][14][15]
Electricity
Hydro-Québec lets customers report a move free of charge in its online Espace client as soon as they know the new address and date; doing it by phone costs $25 plus taxes (514 385-7252 in Montréal, 1 888 385-7252 elsewhere).[16]
Consumer protection
When a Québec consumer hires a mover by phone or online, the law requires a written contract, which the mover must send within 15 days; before concluding, the mover must disclose the total cost, payment terms and the move's date and time.[17]
Sources
- [1] Ville de Montréal — Connaître les modalités de la collecte des ordures ménagères (consulted September 27, 2026)
- [2] Ville de Montréal — Get details about household waste collections (consulted September 27, 2026)
- [3] Ville de Montréal — On se ramasse, pour un effet monstre (consulted September 27, 2026)
- [4] Ville de Montréal — Connaître les modalités de la collecte des encombrants et de résidus de construction (consulted September 27, 2026)
- [5] Ville de Montréal — Get details about bulky items and construction debris collections (consulted September 27, 2026)
- [6] Ville de Montréal — Carte du réseau de camionnage (consulted September 27, 2026)
- [7] Ville de Montréal — Montréal Trucking Route Map (consulted September 27, 2026)
- [8] City of Ottawa — Temporary construction related encroachments (consulted September 28, 2026)
- [9] City of Ottawa — Temporary consideration parking permit (consulted September 27, 2026)
- [10] City of Ottawa — Traffic and Parking By-law 2017-301 — Part A, Rules of the road (consulted September 28, 2026)
- [11] Government of Ontario — Safety standards certificate (consulted September 27, 2026)
- [12] Government of Ontario — Certificat de sécurité (consulted September 27, 2026)
- [13] Government of Ontario — Vehicle insurance and registration | The Official Ministry of Transportation (MTO) Driver's Handbook (consulted September 27, 2026)
- [14] Government of Ontario — Immatriculation et assurance des véhicules | Guide officiel de l'automobiliste (consulted September 27, 2026)
- [15] Government of Ontario — Register an out of province vehicle in Ontario (consulted September 27, 2026)
- [16] Hydro-Québec — Changer d’adresse (consulted September 27, 2026)
- [17] Office de la protection du consommateur — Conseils de consommation : avant le déménagement (consulted September 27, 2026)
Montreal → Ottawa-Gatineau: what our pricing model charges
Illustrative pricing-model estimate in CAD, before tax. Your addresses, date, inventory and services determine your quote.
| Home size | Movers | Standard | Plus | Prestige |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A few items | 3 | $1,050 | $1,300 | $1,750 |
| Studio | 3 | $1,100 | $1,350 | $1,850 |
| 1 bedroom | 4 | $1,325 | $1,650 | $2,225 |
| 2 bedrooms | 4 | $1,425 | $1,800 | $2,450 |
| 3 bedrooms | 4 | $1,550 | $1,950 | $2,675 |
| House (4 bedrooms) | 4 | $1,700 | $2,175 | $3,000 |
| Move coordination | $35 |
|---|---|
| Labour and handling | $666.11 |
| Distance and travel | $170.34 |
| Planning, minimums and service margin | $928.55 |
| Estimate | $1,800 |
How these figures were produced
- Assumptions for this example: 200 km and 2 h 30 min of driving. Confirm the route for the move's addresses and conditions.
- Local pricing: the 2 h 30 min drive is billed as crew and truck time, plus $0.85/km for distance.
- 2 bedrooms: two bedroom sets, a sofa and armchair, a dining set for four, a desk and 40 boxes (754 cu ft, 3,326 lb).
- Ground-floor access at both addresses (no stairs, no elevator) unless a column says otherwise.
- Neutral scenario with no booking date, postal-zone or capacity adjustment. Your selected date, addresses and services can change the quote.
- Pricing version moving-freight-tax-ca-20260810-v2, captured 2026-09-27. Moving base amounts are in CAD before tax, with upward rounding in $25 increments.
- Packing labour, storage, disassembly and other add-ons are not included.
- A few items: a loveseat, a dresser, a mattress, a bicycle and 10 boxes (170 cu ft, 702 lb).
- Studio: a bed, a dresser, a loveseat, a TV stand and coffee table, two chairs and 15 boxes (314 cu ft, 1,356 lb).
- 1 bedroom: one bedroom set, a sofa and armchair, a dining set for four and 25 boxes (463 cu ft, 2,091 lb).
- 3 bedrooms: three bedroom sets, a sofa and a loveseat, a dining set for six, a washer and dryer and 60 boxes (1,129 cu ft, 5,105 lb).
- House (4 bedrooms): four bedroom sets, a sofa, a loveseat and a sectional, a dining set for six, laundry, patio and garage items and 80 boxes (1,617 cu ft, 7,070 lb).
Provenance of data used for the assumptions: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL).
Before you request a quote
- Add the real pickup and delivery details before relying on the estimate.
- Flag stairs, elevators, parking, loading distance, dock rules, or access paperwork.
- Share the timing window and anything that could add waiting time for the crew.
- Tell us if packing, storage, or delivery flexibility still needs to be decided.
Pricing and planning FAQ
What separates the Standard and Prestige tiers on this route?
For a 2-bedroom home, $1,425 on Standard against $2,450 on Prestige: Prestige plans slower handling (210 cu ft per crew-hour instead of 300) and $45 of supplies.